The Los Angeles Rams enter the new season with a clear mission: shore up their special teams. And it's easy to see why. If you need a painful reminder, just rewind to the NFC Championship game, where punt returner Xavier Smith's costly fumble deep in his own territory handed the Seattle Seahawks a short field—and a 24-13 lead just after halftime. It was the kind of moment that can haunt a team all offseason.
To their credit, the Rams have responded aggressively. This offseason, they've targeted special teams improvement with the same urgency typically reserved for starting cornerbacks. They brought in veteran long snapper Joe Cardona from the New England Patriots to stabilize the field goal operation. They also signed special teams ace Grant Stuard, a Detroit Lions standout who has logged nearly 1,700 snaps on coverage units over his five-year career. On paper, the Rams are deeper and more reliable in the kicking game.
But here's the lingering question: Have they done enough to fix the return game itself? After free agency and the draft, is Xavier Smith still the top option to field punts and kicks?
To answer that, it helps to break down the two roles separately. Kick returners tend to be bulkier runners who can absorb contact and break tackles. Punt returners, by contrast, need shiftiness and straight-line speed to evade defenders in tight spaces. The Rams have several candidates on the roster, but the numbers tell a mixed story.
Kick Return Candidates (2024 Stats):
- Jordan Whittington, WR: 24 returns, 589 yards (24.5 avg), 38 long
- Ronnie Rivers, RB: 22 returns, 569 yards (25.9 avg), 46 long
- Blake Corum, RB: 14 returns, 326 yards (23.3 avg), 30 long
- Xavier Smith, WR: 13 returns, 301 yards (23.2 avg), 32 long
Ronnie Rivers posted the highest per-return average on the team, but that still ranked just 30th in the NFL. Translation: most of the league was generating better starting field position than the Rams. While all four players are currently on the offseason roster, only Corum feels like a lock to make the final 53-man squad. If Rivers is truly the Rams' best option, that's a problem.
Punt Return Outlook:
On punts, Xavier Smith handled the bulk of the workload with 30 returns for 249 yards—an 8.3-yard average—plus a long of 31 and two muffs. That's a far cry from the explosive, game-changing returns that tilt field position. The only other player to field a punt last season managed just one return.
The Rams have upgraded their coverage units and specialists, but the return game remains a work in progress. Whether through internal development or another addition before training camp, Los Angeles still needs a reliable, dynamic threat to flip the field. For now, the job is up for grabs—and the pressure is on.